Adventures of a Warthog
by vayetze
Summary: Come with Pumbaa as he befriends a meerkat and raises a lion cub and finally acts as an uncle to a lioness. . Lion King One , One and a Half and Two from the viewpoint of our favorite warthog. How does Pumbaa react when Simba chastises him for being naive? And why does Simba always seem to talk to Timon? My take on the family dynamic of these three
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One On My Way and Meeting with Rafiki

Mom was not too happy with me. The head of the monkeys told her that I had farted around the waterhole again and half of his group fell out of the trees. Last week I had made a herd of elephants faint. Mom was sick of the animals coming to her. She told me it was time to leave the sounder(Group of warthogs)that I grew up in.

"Pumbaa, I love you but you are making things bad for your sisters, " she told me. "I cannot find mates for Penelope, Precious, and Princess because some of the male warthogs think they have the same problem with gas that you have. You are older now so you need to go out on your own. Most male warthogs do."

"But Mom" I said. "I want to protect you and the sounder. There are lots of male warthogs that want to take over." I am very protective of my mother and my sisters.

"Don't worry, Pumbaa. I am going to marry Ralph. He will protect our sounder." Ralph was the large male warthog who lived near our grasslands. He wanted to annex our territory to his.

"All right , Mom But I would still like to stay."

All right , Mom But I would still like to stay."

"You can't stay Pumbaa. Ralph does not want you here. You are a grown male. And he does not like your gas problem and neither do your sisters. Your sisters want to marry some of the young males in Ralph's sounder but that will not happen if you don't leave. And your sisters complain that you are overprotective. With your attitude and your smell, you are making sure that they do not have any marriage partners. This has to stop."

"And what if I don't decide to leave, Mom?" I asked.

"Then I will have Ralph force you to leave." I am shocked and tears start to form in my eyes. Ralph is a huge warthog with massive tusks. All of the males in our sounder are afraid of him. If I have to fight with Ralph I know that I am on the losing end. "All right, Mom. I will leave." I reluctantly agree. Then I start crying. Mom just stands there and lets me cry. She makes no attempt to comfort me. When I am finished crying she tells me to go ahead and leave. If I don't, Ralph will arrive shortly to challenge me.

It is the middle of the day and I journey out of the grasslands. I say goodbye to my sisters but they do not pay attention. Only Mom says goodbye and I know that she is relieved that I am gone.

I wonder what my purpose in life is and I hope to meet up with someone who can tell me this. I decide to go to see the baboon Rafiki. He is the shaman of the Pridelands but sometimes he spends part of the year wandering other areas around the Pridleands and treating other animals. I know that he will leave tomorrow. Before I leave the grasslands, I decide to see him. The shaman is mediatating on a rock facing the waterhole. I say hello and ask him to tell me my future now that I am thrown out of my sounder.

Rafiki pulls out some tufts of my hair and mixes them with fruit juice and red powder inside a turtle shell. Then he looks at me and sighs. "I do not tell futures, Pumbaa. But I can give you advice. You have a good heart and you carry wisdom in your soul. You do not always know the motives of people on the surface because you are too good hearted and too trusting. You should take up with a friend who is tougher and more jungle wise than you. But you have the capacity to be a loyal and dear friend to anyone. You will travel paths that no warthog has ever traveled and you will make many friends that are different than you. And one other thing. You must live by the philosophy of hakuna matata. It means no worries. These two words will solve all of your problems."

"But Rafiki, what about my smell?It drives other animals away."

Rafiki hits me on the head with his stick. "What was that for?" I ask in bewilderment.

"One you just went against the philosophy of hakuna matata. You worried about your smell. And two, even though I hit you just once you still want to talk to me right?"

"Well, yes Rafiki. I trust your wisdom."

"It is the same with your gas problem. It only happens once in a while. It is not enough to drive all animals away. You will find true friends who will like you in spite of it. Now you had better go on your way. Ralph is coming to see me soon."

"Thank you Rafiki." I continue on my journey.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two Meeting with Timon and Search for A New Home

I ended up passing the meerkat colony close to the Pridelands. I see the hyenas trying to chase these poor little defenseless animals. It just makes me angry. So I play bowling for hyenas. I charge at Shenzie the matrraich and Ed the crazy one and knock them both down. They try to chase me but I decide to use my gas weapons. I let out a large fart and the three hyenas faint. I do not go back to the meerkat colony because my smell knocked out a few that were close to the hyenas. Luckily the meerkats carry off the ones that fainted and started to repair their tunnels. I notice one cute little meerkat leaving the colony. He is absolutely adorable with his dark eyes and red hair. I am concerned for his safety and I follow him.

It is night before we finally meet. He looks around because he hears me stalking we bump into each other and yell. We finally stop yelling. The cute little meerkat begs me to eat him quickly. "I have a low threshold for pain, " he says.

"Easy, easy little guy, " I say."I am not here to eat you."

"Then why were you stalking me?" the meerkat asks.

"I thought it might be dangerous for a little fellow like you to be wandering all alone" I tell him.

The meerkat then asks me if I am alone and I tell him that I am. He looks me over and examines my anatomy. Then he hires me as his bodyguard and acquaitnance to accompany him on a journey to find a new home. I gladly accept and find that we have one more thing in common. We both like to eat bugs. I tell him that I am an insectivore. I find out the Meerkat's name is Timon and I introduce myself as Pumbaa. The first few days of our journey we come to a large pointy rock. I try to tell Timon that there is a jungle oasis where we can make our home. Mom used to take us there for vacations during our childhood. But Timon brushes this off as fantasy. He wants me to be more realistic. As I get to know Timon, I find that he has a strong personality and he is wise in the way of the world that I am not. I let him take charge because I realize that I am naive in some ways. Timon is the one to decide our journey and I just happily follow along.

When we come to the pointy rock we see a whole flock of animals there. Rafiki is holding up a lion cub. I realize we are in the Pridelands and the cub is King Mufasa's son. I tell Timon about this but he is not interested in anything but finding our new home. He looks beyond the pointy rock. He sees a small den made of rocks with a tree and a small pond. He decides we should go there.

I hate it when he wants us to wander through the crowd of animals. I feel really intimidated by the buffalo and zebras. They really look irritated at seeing the two of us push through. Then I am about to have a gas attack. "Timon, I have something to tell you," I try to say as my stomach rumbles. I stop and sit on the ground and sweat. Timon pushes me along and pulls my tail. Then I spill my gas and the animals faint. I wait for Timon to tell me to go away but he doesn't."That is your special power?" he laughs. "That is awesome. It will keep away predators". I am heartened by this statement and realize we can be friends. We settle in together at the new rock den. At first Timon talks about the place as if he is living there alone but he wants me to stay. I make out two beds and Timon sleeps in the bigger one but I am able to squeeze into the smaller one. It seems we have found our home and I have found a new friend.

Unfortunatly a few months later we hear animals singing and Timon tries to stop them. They get on top of each other. When Timon tries to pull the elephant at the bottom of this pyramid the animals fall on top of our den and wreck it. Now we have to find a new is worse I had to pull Timon out of the way so he would not be crushed by the other animals. Boy, this little guy really needs me to protect him.

Let me just say we had a heck of a time trying to find a place to live. I tell Timon about the jungle oasis

but he is stubborn. He keeps insisting he has to look beyond what he sees. This is something that Rafiki has told him."If you have to look beyond what you see, how will know what you are seeing?" I ask Timon. He points to the creepy elephant graveyard. He wants to live there because who would go there. Unfortunately we are almost mowed down by a large golden lion followed by a hornbill. We watch as the large lion fights with some hyeans. OOh predators.! Timon is frightened but I am not. I know the lion is King Mufasa. He might not hurt us but it is better if we do not take any chances.

Then we go to the caverns where the steam vents are located. This happens about a day later. Timon loves this. He says we could bathe in the hot water. Maybe it will get rid of your gas, he tells me. I really do not want to live here but I have no where else to go. And I have to make sure Timon stays out of trouble. Once in a while I do wish Timon was not so dependent on me. I guess you have to sacrifice some of your desires for the sake of friendship. The steam vents were really a bad choice. We see flanks of hyeanas marching to the song of a dark lion with a black mane. The lion has a scar. He sings about them being prepared, being prepared for what? I hope they are not talking about what they will eat for dinner. We dance among their ranks and manage to sneak out of the caverns. I wish I could just drag Timon to the oasis. His tastes in real estate leave a lot to be desired.

The worst place that smart mouthed meerkat dragged me to was the gorge. How can something with sun and heat be a great piece of real estate? We almost get crushed by the wildebeest stampede. We run and then the wildebeest carry us. After that we fall down a waterfall and end up in a river. I am relieved when we leave the river. Maybe Timon will listen to me. I am sick of his bad choices and I am really irritated with him. When I get to the rocky shore, I try to persuade him to let me pick out a place to live but my resolve falters when I see him holding the lily. He thinks we should go our separate ways but I tell him I will stick with him. Then he tells me he really has no home either. He was kicked out of his birthplace like I was kicked out of mine. Then I see where we are . We are in the jungle oasis. We settle down, eat our bugs and live our lives according to Hakuna matata. Then we start the next greatest adventure of our lives. We become foster parents.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three The Lion Cub

It takes us awhile to get used to the oasis. I make a big bed that we share. Timon sleeps on my stomach. It takes us awhile to live the Hakuna Matata lifestyle because Timon worries too much. Meerkats are so paranoid. I find out that Timon has met Rafiki and learned about hakuna matata from thinks Rafiki is a weird monkey. I agree but Rafiki has an insight into how all animals act and that is why he is shaman to the Lion Kings of Pride Rock.

Anyway I think about Mom and my little sisters. I wonder how they are doing. Before I was the smelly pig with the gas problem, I was a big brother and I helped take care of my little sisters. Taking care of other creatures that are little and helpless is what I do best. After all that is why I ended up following Timon. But Timon really does not need that much looking after. In fact he really decides everything for the two of us and I usually let him. I miss taking care of something little and helpless. Boy I would like to be a dad but I have not met any female warthogs out here and I do not think they would want to have a relationship with me anyway.

I perfect my bowling skills. I have bowled wildebeest, antelope, hyenas, and mostly birds. We usually practice on buzzards. It is always good to keep our skills up. We have to go the the desert to bowl for buzzards but we do it at least once or twice a week. We usually check to see if the corpses that they want to feed on are alive and they usually are dead.

Today we see the buzzards again. We are at the border between the oasis and the desert.. We run from the oasis , shout and make the birds fly and scatter. Timon gets off my back and I look at the corpse. I see a beautiful golden brown body. I lean down and and see the little creature is breathing. "Hey, Timon, I think its alive"

Timon grunts and goes over to the cute little creature. He picks up its paw and backs away. "It's a eat guys like us."

I look down at the little lion cub. He is absolutely adorable."He is just a little lion. Look at him. Isn't he cute? Can we keep him?" I ask earnestly. I really want this little guy.

"But then he will grow big" Timon points out. "Then he will be on our side." I answer. As usual Timon thinks my idea is dumb but he thinks about it and claims it as his own. "It would be nice to have a lion around. He would come in handy." So I lift up the cub with my tusks, carry him, and we take him to the oasis.

When our cub first wakes up, he is really depressed. He does not tell us why he is so melancholy only he did something terrible that he had to get away from. Timon tells him he really does not want to hear about why he ran away. I tell him to put his behind in his past. Timon says you put your past behind you. Anyway after we sing to the kid he cheers up. Then we try to get him to eat insects. He tries his first slimy slug and manages to like it. That is just the beginning of our parenting.

Simba, our cub, is a rambunctious little boy. I catch him when he breaks a branch off of a tree. I grab him as he goes over a waterfall. Again I am always around in the nick of time to save the kid when Timon tries and is unsuccessful. I know I am needed. But Timon is closer to our cub than I am and sometmes it really hurts.

At night when Simba wakes up, he always calls for Timon. Timon takes him to relieve himself. Timon takes him for a drink of water. The two of them have father-son talks. I can't help but feel a little jealous and left out. But one night Timon does not get enough sleep and yells at Simba after Simba has a night mare. Timon wakes me up, tells me Simba has had a bad dream, and I suggest Simba sleep with us. Simba eagerly climbs on top of my stomach and puts a paw around Timon. I feel great being with the two of them. Then I volunteer to take care of Simba when he has to get up in the night so Timon can rest. I get closer to Simba. I am not Simba's father. I guess since I am a soft kind of warthog. I am more like Simba's mother.

I am getting concerned about Simba. He is starting to grow out of cubhood but he is very skinny. He looks like a bag of bones. I speak about this with Timon. Bugs are not enough for our boy. He needs to be trained how to hunt. Timon won't hear of it. So I devise a new game.

"Hey Simba" I say. "Let's play hide and seek. I will hide and you will try to find me. Then you will pin me down." I practice it a few times and Timon is plays this game and becomes very good at it. He practices this on other animals after I tell him to. But as Simba grows he goes away from us on short trips. He eats field mice, lizards, and small game. He starts growing into a sleek lion. He starts growing a small red mane over his head. He is a very handsome young lion. Then he takes Hakuna Matata to a whole new realm. He tells Timon that even though Timon invented Hakuna Matata, Simba perfected it. Timon asks me about all of the different bug eating contests the two engaged in. It is Simba who has won every time. The two finally decide to snail slurp. I go over to the other side of the oasis because watching them slurp the snails sickens me and I lose my appetitie for slimy bugs. I hear them making the smooth liquidy sounds as they swallow the snails.. Finally both of them collapse bloated and exhausted. It is a wonder they don't get sick. Poor Simba throws up during the night. Timon has the worst stomach rumblings and gas imaginable. He makes my farting look like an air freshner. Simba and I go to sleep in a different area. Timon is quite happy though. He has won the contest. Simba grows up to be a handsome male lion with a full and thick red mane. After that we spend many happy worry free days together in our jungle eat bugs although Simba disappears on hunting trips.. We soak in our own hot tub. We sleep under the stars. I kind of feel bad about that one episode when we laughed at Simba after he told us that the stars were great kings watching over us. Timon really made fun of Simba then and hurt his feelings. I am not very spiritual myself. I just think that the stars are big balls of gas burning billions of miles away. We warthogs are a practical lot. But I really do not like to make fun of anyone's core spiritual beliefs. It is just plain wrong.

After this incident, I was not aware of it yet but our threesome was about to change by a lioness who would get the three of us to fight for her home and reveal the family background of our boy.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Battle at Pride Rock

Oh my god! I am about to be eatern. After stalking a dung beetle a lioness stalks me. I run and get stuck under a tree root and Timon is telling me he has to save me. Luckily, Simba goes after the lioness to protect us. Timon says" I told you he would come in handy."

The biggest surprise comes after the lioness pins Simba down. He recognizes her. She is Nala, his childhood friend. I am introduced to her after Simba tells me to come over. Although she almost ate me, she is a friend of Simba's so I feel I have to be nice. She is beautiful and will make a nice girlfriend for our boy. I feel all toasty and warm inside that Simba has grown up and found someone he loves after all these years. Timon is really upset though. He tells me that our trio will be down to two. "WE have to stop this Pumbaa!" he states with determination! "They can't feel the love tonight.!" None of our schemes to stop their romantic interlude work. They all end up injuring both of us especially Timon. The one that is really good is trying to send the spider. It falls in love with a female arachnid and ends up spinning heart-shaped webs. Timon feels awful especially after the bees sting him. Finally when we try to trip the two lions we wind up flying into a tree and scattering butterflies and the two lions end up nuzzling each other. So much for stopping true romance.

Another surprise is finding out that Simba comes from a royal family. He is King Mufasa's son. Our sounder always knew about the Great Lion Kings of the Pridelands. They controlled resources and hunting among all of the animals and several of my relatives thrived under their I try to bow down to Simba, Timon mocks me but then decides that he likes Simba's status because it would make him powerful. Timon tries to see if he can turn circumstances to his advantage. He has always been jungle smart.

After seeing Nala, Timon and I catch Simba talking to a strange cloud formation. I swear the thing looks like the head of a lion. Maybe there is something to Simba's spiritual beliefs. The next morning Simba is gone. Nala tells us that he has gone back to the Pridelands to reclaim his throne as king back from his uncle Scar. Timon does not pay any attention to the story but I do. Nala does not think we understand anything so she angrily tells us in a frustrated manner. "Look, don't you get it?Simba needs our needs us." Then she runs away in the direction of the desert. I am ready to follow her but Timon just goes back to our bed and flops down for a nap. I am appalled at him. Timon says that he will stay right here in the jungle because Simba abandoned Hakuna Matata to be a king. I tell Timon that Hakuna Matata is not Hakuna Matata without Simba.

Timon argues with me. He says" That's crazy talk, crazy talk Pumbaa! It was Hakuna Matata before Simba and it will be Hakuna Matata after Simba!"

I plead with Timon. "We gotta help our friend, Timon.!

Timon looks at me like I had just betrayed him. "Et tu, Pumbaa? What happened to friends stick together till the end?"

I look at the meerkat in disgust. How can he be like this to Simba our kid? I feel like knocking him down. Timon is so darn selfish. Well, I have made up my mind. I am going to help Simba whether Timon likes it or not.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," I tell Timon."How can you be so selfish? Simba is not just our friend. He is our child and he needs us. Don't you love Simba? He is closer to you than he is to me. You are like a father to him. You won't help your son when he is in trouble ?What kind of father are you? You are just going to sit here and let Simba face his uncle alone?" I try to see how my statement will impact the meerkat but he does not move a muscle. He just goes back to the bed ignoring turns around and replies, " I've got everything I need right here. If Simba wants to play his Majesty he can do it without me."

"Well, I am going to Pride Rock to help Simba. ," I tell Timon." I will be his father even if you won't.I love Simba and I am not going to let Scar kill him.I will not let Simba face Scar alone." I sadly look at Timon one last time and then I begin my journey to the Pridelands. My love for Simba keeps me going . I try not to think about leaving Timon behind.

When I run across the desert , Timon catches up with me. He decides that Simba and I took Hakuna Matata with us and he wants to help. We are friends again. It is good to have our duo back again and ready to help our boy.

When we arrive at the Pridelands. Timon and I act as live bait for the hyenas, so Nala and Simba can sneak past them. Timon looks funny in his hula dress. We manage to run away. Then we see the hyenas attacking Simba after he holds down Scar and gets his uncle to confess to Mufasa's murder. So I do bowling for hyenas like I did to the meerkat colony. Then somehow Timon gets in trouble again. He runs in the den at Pride Rock and hides in a skeleton whereo a hornbill is imprisoned after he is chased by two of the hyenas. I follow them into the cave and I am really insulted when the male hyenas stares at me and askes me "Who is the pig?" I hate it when animals have lousy manners and I seethe with rage at such disrespect. I get really angry and scream " Are you talking to me? They call me MISTER PIG!" Then I charge the hyenas, knock them down, break the skeleton, and set Timon and the hornbill free.

So far we have been successfull in our battle with the hyenas but we end up being cornered by them again. UncleMax and Timon's Ma show up. Timon has a plan and we implement time we hold off the hyenas so Max and Ma can dig tunnels under them. We do everything to stall. The real surprise is when Timon proposes to Shenzi, the hyena matriarch. I had no idea that Timon was is love with her. I would really like to be his best man, but she really does not want to marry him. I cannot imagine what their kids would look like. Unfortunately, when Uncle Max and Ma try to trap the hyenas in the tunnels , not all the sticks holding up the tunnels fall and the hyenas remain above ground. This time Timon is the hero and I am really proud of him. He dives into the tunnels under Shenzi's feet and knocks down the last sticks keeping the tunnels up. The hyenas fall underground and slide away and then we see Simba throw Scar off of Pride Rock. "It looks like Scar is down and out" I tell Ma and Uncle Max.

Finally Simba ascends Pride Rock to claim his throne. He notices Timon and I before he starts to ascend. We both bow down to him and he hugs us."I could not have done this without you guys." , he that Timon and I both cry. We are so proud of our boy as he roars to his pride of lions. We stick around to see if Simba is happy and he looks like he is. Nala and all of the other lionessess flock around him. They seem happy with their new monarch. Simba is definitley home where he belongs and he really does not need us any more. Timon says we had better sneak away before the lionesses decide to eat us.

We start to go away and leave when Nala and another lioness jump in f ront of us. Timon tells Nala not to scare us.

"I am sorry I frightened you, but this lioness wants to talk to you. This is Sarabi, Simba's mother. She will not harm you."

Sarabi is an older lioness and she has amber eyes like Simba. In fact our boy's face is just like hers.

She greets us warmly. "You too must have raised . I want to thank you. He looks strong and healthy."

Timon apologizes to Sarabi. "Listen ma'am. We did not know how to raise him to be a king. We did not even know he was a king. We told him not to have any worries and to put his past behind him."

I tell Sarabi"Your son is a great kid. We just wanted to make sure he was happy. He had fun with us. We sort of taught him how to hunt and we told him not to worry, but you lions will have to teach him his kingly duties."

Sarabi looked at us with gratitude. "You helped him enjoy his childhood and for that I can never repay you. And he looks like a young lion should. I am so grateful that he is alive. So you did a great job as parents". Then she says goodbye to us.

After meeting Sarabi both Timon and I realize that Simba has entered a new phase of his life. Our trio is now down to two. He does not need us anymore. He has a family of lionesses that will love and take care of him. Sarabi and the hornbill named Zazu will help him rule as king and Nala will be his mate. Soon he will have cubs of his own. He does not need an outcast meerkat and a smelly warthog to be part of his family. Our job is done. I want to say goodbye to Simba but Timon says we should just leave quietly. "I doubt that Simba will miss us. He will be too busy being His Majesty to notice us." Timon is just as brokenhearted about leaving Simba as I am but he will not admit it. It is too hard for him to say goodbye and it is hard for me too. It feels bad to leave without saying goodbye and I wonder if Simba will be hurt, but maybe he will be too busy learning how to be a king to dwell on such feelings. We might as well start living like we are two again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five Simba Brings Us back to Pride Rock

Timon and the meerkat colony come with me to the oasis. It takes some convincing but after repelling an attack by the hyenas, we gather the inhabitants of the colony and we journey across the that we rest by the border of the desert then we wait at night to journey across the desert. When dawn comes, we reach the oasis. Some of the meerkats want to dig tunnels but most are willing to live above ground. Several of the pups play at the waterfalls. Uncle Max decides to have a meditation and yoga class. Some of us go to hunt for grubs. Timon's Ma is elected as the head matriarch of the colony. She organizes us into hunting parties. I am also given a job. With Timon on my back, I patrol the oasis to look out for predators. Occasionally a leopard will come through here and the meerkats scurry into hiding places and emergency tunnels they have made. I would like to help take care of the pups, but the meerkat parents are too paranoid to let me near them. Timon's Ma is trying to set up Timon with some of the female meerkats and he is dating, but none of them are as adventurous as he is. In fact he is getting tired of Ma interfering in his try to make peace with our new life in the oasis, but we feel something is missing.

One night we are about to go to bed when Ma and Uncle Max come up to and Uncle Max start the conversation.

"So, what is up with you two?" Uncle Max says. "You are moping around like you lost your best friend. You two have every reason to be happy, here."

"Yes, " Ma continued. "Timmy, you have the respect of the colony. You are dating girls. Both of you have a great job patrolling the oasis. You do not have to worry about predators. Why are you so sad all the time?"

"I don't know, Ma, " Timon replies. I merely shrug my head.

"You know, I always wondered why Ma and I found the two of you in a major battle between carnivores. Would it have anything to do with the lion that ascended the rock?" Uncle Max asked.

"Yeah, " Ma agreed. " I saw the two of you crying when he went up there and roared. How important is he to you? It is obvious you have some feelings for him. What is exactly your relationship?"

So both Timon and I explain about how we found and raised Simba. Both Uncle Max and Ma are fascinated by our story. They really feel bad when they find out how Scar murdered Simba's father. Uncle Max even said that the Kings of the Pridelands were a legend. Uncle Max mentioned that he knew Simba's grandfather King Ahadi. "If his grandson is anything like him, he will be a fair and just king. King Ahadi let my sister live in the Pridelands when she was expelled from our meerkat colony for having illegitmate pups."

"Look, " Ma said. "It is obvious that he is your kid and you are worried about him. Why don't you see how he is doing? You two miss him just like I missed you when you went away Timmy. And since you two raised him, he is going to need someone to lean on that knows him very well. I think he has it really tough being a new ruler and all. He is going to need you two to get his mind off of his worries."

"Ma, we just got here. I feel that the colony needs us. Besides, Simba has his Mom and his advisers to help him with his royal duties. And he has his mate Nala. I am quite sure he doesn't need us. We would only be in the way not to mention the lionesses might want to make appetizers of us." Timon made a very persuasive argument to stay with the colony. I decide to stay with him because I have no where else to go.

"Suit yourself, Timon," Ma said. "But I think you two would be happier with Simba than you would be staying here. You can always live here if you want to, but I want you both to go where you are happy. So think about it."

Uncle Max gave us a knowing look and said he was taking a vacation for three days.

When Timon and I go on patrol four days later, we see a lion in the distance. It is not just any lion. The lion is gold with a familiar red mane. As we get closer, he even looks more familiar. It is our kid Simba. And what's more when we run closer, we see Uncle Max sitting on top of his red mane. Rafiki the mandril is also with them, one of his hands holding his stick. Uncle Max climbs down from Simba's mane to greet us.

"Simba! Simba!" Timon and I both yell. We run straight for our son. Simba bends down and hugs us with his forepaws.

"I really missed you guys, " he tells us. "Why did you go without saying goodbye? My mother talked to you and said everything was fine, but you both just left."

"We thought you did not need us any more," I tell Simba. "you had everything you needed with your Mom and Nala and the rest of the pride plus the bird."

"And we wanted to leave before the lionesses made us part of their dinner menu," Timon added. "We wanted to make sure you were okay before we left and you seemed fine. We also felt like we were intruding when we saw you were back with your family of lions."

"I will always need you guys," Simba replied. "You were there for me when I needed you the most and you two are like my family. Please come back with me to the Pridelands. I will have the elephants build you a den near Pride Rock. I will tell the Pride that you are not on the menu. You can be my Hakuna Matata advisers. You will suggest things to me to keep me from worrying. Also Nala is pregnant and I might need you two to help me raise my cubs. I like having you guys around."

I bow to Simba and kiss his forepaw. "At your service my liege. What ever you want your majesty."

Simba laughs. "I am not used to the royal titles and as my Hakuna Matata advisers you do not have to be so formal. Timon and Pumbaa just call me Simba."

Timon smiles. "Pumbaa and I will be happy to be your Hakuna Matata advisers. And as your advisers, we think you need a little vacation. We will go home with you to Pride Rock but you need some rest and relaxation. So spend a couple of days here with us. Besides, Ma wants to meet you, Simba. She considers you her grandson."

Simba agrees to the much needed vacation. Ma is thrilled to meet her feline grandson. Simba even takes her for a ride on his mane. Getting Simba to meet the colony took some doing. Rafiki and Uncle Max found Ma and announced that Simba had come to see us. When we brought him to the colony most of the older meerkats tried to hide, but Ma and Uncle Max and the younger generation talked to Simba.

Ma is thrilled to hear that Simba has a mate and is expecting cubs. She wants to come after the cubs are born and Simba says that she is welcome to visit us anytime. Ma is quite proud of Simba. It is not everyday that your grandson is a lion king. We also asked Uncle Max why he took his vacation in the Pridelands.

"I was tired of seeing you two mope around and I wondered if Simba missed you. I went to see Rafiki and told him how you both felt and you know what he told me. He said that Simba missed his two friends terribly and wanted them to come back to the Pridelands but he thought it was asking too much of you to live with a bunch of carnivores. I told Rafiki that Simba could come back with us and ask you to live with him and find out for himself. So Rafiki brought me to see the new king and I told him about how you guys were feeling and he decided he could take a few days off to make the trip."

Thank goodness Uncle Max decided to do this. I am grateful to him for bringing back our boy to us. Simba swims in the pool with the meerkats. We go to all of our old favorite places. All too soon we go back to the Pridelands with Rafiki and Simba.

Things are great. The elephants have built us a new den near Pride Rock. It has a tree and a water feature. There are three beds inside of the den and they are all big. Timon and I are very happy. Once a week Simba does some fun activity with us to get his mind off of his kingly duties. We get to know the other lionesses in the pride. We talk to Sarabi and Nala. But there is one group of lionesses we have to watch. Zira the former mate of Scar and her lionesses might be a problem. She has given birth to cubs and so has Nala. Both lionesses are so busy with their cubs that for a while we do not have to worry about anything, but our boy still keeps his eye on Zira.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six The Outsiders

Zira has given birth to twin cubs, Vitani and Kovu. They are the offspring of a rogue lion. Kovu seems especially strong. Nala gives birth to boy and girl twins Kopa and Kiara. Kiara is the wild one and Timon seems to get along with her. Kopa is my boy. From the time, this young one opened his eyes, he has become my special charge. He is going to be a big boy. Simba is especially proud of him. Kopa is protective of his little sister and he is very responsible. He likes to go on patrol with his father. He wants to learn how to be a king. He is smart and he posseses brute strength. Simba often tells everyone that Kopa reminds him of his father Mufasa. Kopa is really close to me. The two of us try to keep Kiara out of is kind like I am. He likes Timon but seems to prefer me because I am calmer. Kiara prefers Timon because he is more excitable and daring like she is. So when we babysit the two of them Kiara sticks with Timon and Kopa sticks with me. We teach them both how to belch and eat grubs. Kopa seems more willing to learn because he feels it is important to know all food sources. I feel great. I loved Simba but he was always a bit closer to Timon. Kopa is more like my kid than Simba was. I love Simba and Kiara both, but Kopa is the only animal who has a close special relationship with me other than Timon. He listens to what I say and tells me I am smarter than Timon in some ways and that Timon should listen to me. He shares the lessons he is learning from Zazu and Simba. He often asks me about Hakuna matata. I tell him it is great to have no worries but you have to do your responsibilities. There has to be a balance between the two.I love taking care of Kopa. Timon sometimes watches Kopa and I watch Kiara. Kiara is smart too but she reminds me so much of Simba. She chases butterflies and wants to go to the elephant graveyard. Timon and I bring her back when she tries to sneak off there. All of the lionesses and the other animals love Kopa. He is kind and decent to everyone.

When I get up in the morning I often accompany Kopa to the watering hole. He and I go up there every morning together unless Simba takes Kopa out on patrol. One morning I get up at my usual time to meet Kopa but he is not on top of Pride Rock. I get a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach that something bad has happened. I go into the lionesses' den but Kopa is nowhere to be found. I go back to my den but he is not there. I finally go to the watering hole and I hear the scream of a young lion cub. I run as fast as my small legs will carry me. Zira is at the watering hole and she is standing over the body of Kopa. I run and knock her down. She swipes at me with her claws. I hear another roar and Simba shows up. While he is fighting Zira and arguing with her, I go over to my little cub. But there is nothing to be done. Kopa is dead. He is covered with bloody gashes. Simba passes judgement right away. He is furious at Zira. I want to kill her but Simba realizes she has cubs and they need their mother. He banishes Zira, her cubs, and her followers to the Outlands. Zira killed Kopa because she believed Simba killed Scar and she wanted to punish him. Poor Simba is devastated at the loss of his son but I am so heartbroken I cannot comfort Simba. Timon comforts both Simba and Nala. He tells both of them they have another cub to raise and she is supposed to be queen. Timon even says the two of us will watch her more carefully. I feel really bad. Am I responsible for Kopa's death? I cannot even talk to Simba for awhile and I get deeply depressed. Timon gets mad at me and tells me to snap out of it, that we both have to look after Kiara. I agree with him. He is right. But there is a big hole in my heart that will never close. I am really not as good with children as I thought I was. Kiara and Simba both are close to Timon and I wonder if they even think about me at all.

Simba is frantic when Kiara goes missing one day. Timon and I go out and try to find her but Simba spots her first. She is playing with a cute brown male lion cub who has the most startling green eyes. They are about to play tag when Simba steps in front of Kiara and roars at the cub. Then Zira steps in front of the brown cub. Simba , Zira and Nala say each other's names. Zira comes close to us. Timon says! "Timon! Pumbaa! Now that we know each other, get out of our Pridelands!" I try to look fierce which is not impossible since I am boiling mad when ever I think of Zira. She comes close to us and I get ready to attack. She looks at Timon and screams at him"Your Pridelands?! These lands belong to Scar!" Her breath is on my face but I do not flinch. I would love to gore her with my tusks. Timon hides in my hair after she roars at him. But Simba tells her he banished her to the Outlands along with her cub. She tells us that her cub's name is Kovu and he is Scar's heir. I remember him now. He was born about the same time as Kopa and Kiara. I look at the beautiful male cub. He does not seem imposing. I almost wish I could kill Zira and take the cub away from her. He would be better off in the Pridelands. She pushes her cub to Simba to see if Simba will punish the youngster for trespassing. Now is Simba's opportunity to have a male heir but he does not take it and he is too nice to kill the cub. He gives Zira a surprised look and tells her to take her cub and get out of the Pridelands. Both Zira and Simba pick up their offspring and head for home. Simba carries Kiara in his mouth by the nape of her neck. I go along with him and the other lionesses. Nala tells him to be gentle. I leave Simba to lecture Kiara. I hope he lays down the law to her. I could not bear to lose another cub.

Luckily Kiara survives her childhood but raising her has changed Simba and I forever. I constantly watch her to the point of being almost annoying. She talks to Timon about me hovering over her and I have to scale back on following her around. Simba is even worse. He will barely let her do anything. He is so paranoid about losing her. She has to stay in sight of Pride Rock at all times and she can never leave without an escort. Nala steps in and tries to give her daughter some freedom. Nala even takes her to her old home so Kiara can get away from her father for a few days. I feel sorry for Simba and I sympathize with him. The loss of Kopa makes Kiara's life more precious to us. Kiara grows up and she is ready to go on her first hunt. Simba promises her to let her hunt on her own but Simba does not keep that promise. His daughter is grown up and even I can see that. He should keep his promise to her but he does not . He tells Timon and I to make sure she does not get hurt. We follow her for awhile but she spots us and and she is so angry at Simba for sending us after her she goes to the Outlands. Then a fire starts and Kovu rescues her. Luckily. Simba is not angry at us but he does not like being indebted to Kovu. Simba decides to let Kovu stay in the pridelands for awhile on a trial basis.

The next day we spend some time with Kovu and Kiara. Kovu and Kiara chase birds away so we can eat bugs. We run for awhile and have to hide from some rhinos chasing us. It is wonderful though. Kovu does not seem like a vicious outsider. He and Kiara are having a good time and falling in love. I can see that Kovu has a good heart. I hope Simba can accept him. I feel bad that Simba cannot trust anyone and seems always suspicious. Simba seems so serious nowadays. He is so involved with his kingdom and his daughter. He hardly wants to do any Hakuna Matata activities anymore. And now is really not the time to do them anyway.

I hope Simba can accept Kovu. When we wake up the next morning everything seems fine. Kiara tells Timon and I that her father and Kovu are having a serious talk. She also says that Simba invited Kovu to sleep in the den with the seems wonderful. I love the fact that Kiara and Kovu are falling in love. They remind me so much of Simba and Nala. But we begin to get anxious. Simba and Kovu are gone for a long time. Simba usually goes on patrol. Nala tells us to look for Simba and she tells Kiara to accompany us. Suddenly we see Simba exhausted , injured,and limping. Kovu is nowhere to be found. Kiara tells Zazu to go for help.

Timon and I are very concerned for our boy. I really wonder who injured Simba. It cannot possibly be Kovu. I know Kovu has a good heart. When we come up to Simba, Timon says"What happened, Simba? Talk to me!' Simba can barely talk. Kiara is next to him He whispers " Kovu, Ambush" and then collapses. I quickly put him on my back and Timon picks up Simba's tail. "We're here for you buddy, " he soothes as I carry Simba to Pride once I am glad I can help my boy. Simba rests while Rafiki takes a look at him but he insists on staying outside. Then Kovu shows up. Timon wants to hit him but then wants me to hold him insists that he had nothing to do with the ambush and asks for Simba's forgiveness. But Simba sends him into exile and the other animals drive him away from the Pridelands. Kiara insists her father change his mind. But he tells her that she will stay at Pride Rock away from Kovu. He tells her that Kovu used her to get to him. Kiara is not to be deterred. She tells Simba that Kovu loves her. Simba insists that Kovu is following in Scar's pawprints and that he must follow in his father's. Kiara tells Simba that he will never be Mufasa. Simba looks hurt and anguished. I feel bad for him. Later on. I decide to talk to Simba myself. I meet with him at the top of Pride Rock.

Somehow I know Kovu is telling the truth. He had nothing to do with the ambush."Simba," I tell my boy. "Maybe there is something to what Kiara says. Kovu seems like a nice kid. Did he actually plan this ambush? Where was he when it occurred? And Kiara seems to trust Kovu. Maybe she knows him better than you do."

Simba gets really angry at me. "Pumbaa, you are so naive you are unbelievable. You want my daughter to trust that evil rogue? You understand nothing! You think all animals are good and they are not. You are too nice and other animals take advantage of you. You were always kind of dumb in the ways of the jungle. You are lucky. Timon is around. At least he understands how bad life can be and how we need to protect ourselves. I might listen to him tell me this but because you are so stupid, I refuse to listen to you. Now get out of here before I exile you myself!"

I almost cry. Now I know the truth. My boy never wanted me around. I was just there because of Timon. I am so upset I do not realize Kiara has disappeared again until later that night when it starts raining. Timon manages to tell Simba Kiara is gone. I can barely speak to Simba anyway. After that we battle the Outsiders. Timon is the one who leads me through the battle. I can barely go on but somewhow I manage. I am proud of Kiara and Kovu and how they try to stop Zira and Simba from fighting each other. Of course Zira attacks Simba, get stopped by Kiara and ends up falling in the river to her death. I am so proud of Kiara for persuading her father to make the prides one. I even tell her how brave she is. I stay away from Simba today. I don't go to him unless Timon is around. It is great when we all go back to Pride Rock and Rafiki waves his stick over Kiara and Kovu. We will celebrate their wedding next week.

Not long after this Sarabi died. I really felt sorry for Simba now. Sarabi had been hunting and was kicked to death by a Cape Buffalo. Both Simba and I tried to talk Sarabi out of hunting because of her age but she still insisted on hunting and fighting. We buried Sarabi but Simba became more depressed. He would often go on long patrols with only Timon and Zazu for company. I did not go with them because I felt I was not needed.

I feel kind of bad right now. Simba has forgotten what he said to me the day of the Battle of the Outsiders. Outwardly, things are still the same. I laugh and joke with Simba and Timon. We even go to the jungle oasis with Kovu and Kiara for a vacation. Simba comes along too. I still cannot forget that my boy thinks I am stupid and naive. Timon spends time alone with Simba but I don't. In fact I try to spend more time by myself so I can give them their space. I should have realized that they were close and needed to spend time together. I am never alone with Simba. We drift further and further apart but I guess it has to be that way. The two of them barely notice me and I pretend everything is the same but it will never be since I know the truth. Simba seems more happy that his daughter is settled so he does not notice that I am concealing my unhappiness and hurt. Kiara notices.

"What's wrong, Pumbaa? You do not seem very happy around my father, anymore. You stay away from him and Timon, both."

"Kiara, Simba always was closer toTimon than me. I am just giving them their space. They deserve that. I don't want them to become tired of me."

"They are close to you, Pumbaa. They would never tire of you. You are a great guy. And you are smart too. Sometimes I get mad at Timon for taking credit for your ideas and you should tell him not to. You are too nice."

"Yeah, well both of them think I am too naive and trusting. They are right. I am lucky to have them around. They show me the way of the jungle which I do not know."

"Pumbaa, did my father say something to you about being too naive and trusting? He can sometimes be critical."

"He did once Kiara, but he was right. I am too naive and trusting. Just don't worry about it! I will try to be around them a little more!"

"I'll talk to my father. He should not have hurt your feelings!"

"I am fine, Kiara! Please don't do that.! Your father is busy being king and all!"

"Okay, but my offer still stands if you ever want me to talk to him.!"

I tell Kiara no and continue brooding about my relationship with Simba although I make sure I spend more time with Timon and him and make everything appear normal. The kingdom seems to be peaceful. What I did not know is that the Pridelands would be facing their greatest crisis and I would be forced to be in Simba's prescense more than I wanted to be because I would have to go into battle once more.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 the Coalition

It started when several antelope were poached. They we heard rumors of another pride of lions being attacked in the Kingdoms of the West. We heard that there was a coalition of 6 male lions who destroyed everything in their path. They were called the Coalition. They killed all male lions and any females lionesses who would not mate with them. They were brutal with their mating often injuring the lionesses. They would come into a pride without warning and decimate it. Four of the male lions had been killed by some of the prides neighboring Simba's kingdom. But the two toughest lions Pretty Boy and Kinky Tail were headed towards the Pridelands. They sent a lioness to warn Simba to surrender his lionesses to them and he would be spared. They even wanted to get Kiara, Nala and especially Vitani. Pretty Bo y really wanted her. Vitani was having none of that. Kelly the lioness with the Coalition spoke to us.

"King Simba, your life will be spared if your surrender. Kinky Tail and Pretty Boy will be cokings. You may take three lionesses with you. Kinky Tail would like to marry your daughter. Pretty Boy wants Vitani. If you agree to these terms, you can start a new pride with Kovu and Nala or any lioness you choose except Kiara and Vitani!"

"Tell Pretty Boy, I will not surrender my daughter or any other lioness to him. We will fight to the death if we have to!'

"Very well! "Kelly replied. " But you will not win and many lions will die!"

Simba had us all training brutally. We trained to fight in units. Vitani led the training and she was as tough as her mother although she treated us okay. She was harsh and demanding and Simba allowed it. She acted like a general which obviously she was. She had me practice goring and bowling lionesses. which I honed with some skill. She had me try to bowl Simba and Kovu. We had to know how to attack lions. Timon was always riding me leading the charge. Vitani did not like him around me because she thought Timon was too distracting. She put up with Timon because she thought I needed him which I did. Unfortunately, Timon got hurt and broke his ankle. He stayed at Rafiki's tree.

So now I was stuck fighting the Coalition by myself. Pretty Boy and Kinky Tail showed up. They simply walked into the Pridelands and demanded that Simba surrender the lionesses and his kingdom. Simba had sent some of us away to prepare for the invasion. Simba told the two lions to leave. The next day they invaded the Pridelands but we were ready for them. I fought alongside Kovu, Simba, Nala, and even Kiara. I did not speak to anyone but just obeyed orders. I decided if I lived through this that I would improve my relationship with Simba. I was going to ask him how he really felt about me. If he thought I was a burden, I would go back to the oasis and live with the meerkat colony. Vitani led another faction and her lionesses managed to kill Kinky Tail. Unfortunately, Pretty Boy was the biggest and most deadly lion of the group. He came at Kovu, Simba, and I with two lionesses at his side. Kovu managed to lead the two lionesses away from us and I gored one of them and killed her. Kovu fought the other one. Then Simba chased by Pretty Boy ran toward the gorge where the wildebeest stampede had killed Mufasa years this time Pretty Boy and Simba fought. Simba was very tired and was no match for the bigger lion. Simba fell to the ground with Pretty Boy hovering above Boy swiped Simba with his claws and stood over him ready to strike again. Both lions were near the cliffs of the gorge.

"You kingdom and your lionesses are mine. Your wife and daughter will be my concubines and Vitani will be my Queen. If these lionesses resist, I will kill them. But I will kill you first.! You are mine Simba! You have no kingdom left! You are no longer King of the Pridelands!"

By this time I was boiling mad. I had had enough of this arrogant beast and the whole coalition. He was not going to kill my boy.

"You won't kill any more lions, today Buffalo Butt! Not if I can help it!" I shouted. "Keep you paws off of my boy! "

Pretty Boy laughed. "No stupid pig with a wet backside is going to be able to fight me!"

"Are you talking to me?! Are you talking to ME!? They call me MISTER PIG!" I charged at Pretty Boy and gored him. Unfortunately he fell over the cliff of the gorge with me on top of him. I hit the bottom of the gorge and slipped into darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight Talk with Mufasa

I woke up in some soft grass. I was in front of a huge rock formation and there were lions and other animals everywhere. I had been laying down in the grass but I was fine. The lions were on the rock formation. What was interesting is that all of the lions look regal and kingly. They sit together on top of the rock formation. I wonder if they are going to hunt me but they do not. One of them a large male lion comes over to me. He is bigger than Simba or Pretty Boy and is gold with the longest red mane I have ever seen on any lion.

"Who are you and where am I?" I ask. "Please don't eat me!"

"Do not worry, Pumbaa," the large lion said. "No one eats anything here. This is the Kingdom of the Great Kings and Queens who have passed from life. Besides why would I eat the one creature who saved my son's life?"

It dawns on me that I am no longer alive. I have made my peace with it.

'"How is Simba?" I ask.

"Simba is fine and everyone in the Pridelands is well. Pretty Boy and Kinky Tail have been defeated and are dead. There is no more coalition and Simba is still king of my kingdom."

It suddenly dawns on me who this large lion is. And I feel very humbled. "Listen Your Majesty, King Mufasa, " I tell him. " I am sorry that I was not such a good guardian for your son. My friend Timon tells me that I am naive in the ways of the jungle."

Mufasa stares down at me perplexed "Why would you say that Pumbaa? You and Timon did a great job with my son."

"We did not teach him to be a king," I point out." And I did a worse job than Timon. Simba feels closer to Timon than me and he respects Timon. Both of them think I am too naive and too trusting. I wonder if Simba even likes me at all. He either talks to Timon alone or to Timon and me together. I do not think Simba would even want me around if Timon were not there."

"You greatly underestimate your impact on my son. You could not teach him to be king but you helped him recover from the trauma of my death. And while you did not prepare him to be king, you gave him the ability to carry on when he was depressed. And what's more you had an impact on Timon as well. You underestimate your influence. You have one ability that gives you a great influence on the animals around you. It is your greatest gift.

"And what is that, Mufasa? My ability to fight?"

"No, it your ability to give love without expecting anything in return. It is your ability to protect and defend creatures smaller than . Timon and Simba would not have a family if it had not been for you. You followed Timon to protect him and he accepted you. You found my son and decided you wanted to raise him without any benefits. Timon only agreed to it after you told him that it would be good to have a lion on his side. You taught both Timon and Simba how to love because you are unselfish. You led them by example. You were also there for Simba when ever he needed you. You caught him when he fell out of the tree and you grabbed him when he fell from the water fall. You even taught him how to hunt. You helped him live through his childhood when he was a cub. You even made his childhood happier. And for that I can never thank you."

"But Mufasa, Simba is still closer to Timon. And I could not teach him how to rule. I could not teach him how to avoid being fooled. I do not know about sarcasm or about being devious. I do not have the wisdom you have. And I could not teach him how to fight like a lion."

"Pumbaa you lived some of the principles I taught my son. You taught him how to treat animals kindly. You embodied the principle of respecting all of the creatures from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope. Because you showed your love and friendship for my son and for Timon he was able to live this principle. He was able to control his own strength when he dealt with the both of you. Pumbaa you,Timon, and Simba were a family. You were a good parent to my son and you taught Timon how to parent. If Timon did not know you, he would be more taught him how to be also went to help my son when he tried to win back his throne from Scar. You told Timon you were going to help Simba and you did not want him to face Scar alone. It took awhile for Timon to decide to help Simba but you were already willing to help. And finally you killed Pretty Boy. You even told that large lion to leave your boy alone. You are Simba's parent Pumbaa whether you like it or not."

"Yes, I did that and I would not hesitate to do it again because I love Simba. I may have been an influence but you cannot deny the fact that Simba loves Timon. I was always just there. I do not know how he feels about me. I do not know if he even mourns my death."

"What makes you think you are dead. Pumbaa?" a female voice says. I look up and see Sarabi but she is young and beautiful.

"I am here, " I say. "I am not dead already? By the way you look great, Sarabi."

"You are only dying," Sarabi says. "It is up to you if you want to return to the world of the living. It would be easier for you to remain here but it would be harder on my son to lose you."

"Pardon me ma'am but I do not think I mean that much to Simba."

"Mufasa, he needs to see how Simba really feels." Sarabi states.

"Pumbaa you are one stubborn warthog. Do you not see what we are trying to tell you? You mean a lot to Simba." The big lion roars. "My son lost me, Kopa, and Sarabi. Losing you will break him." I shake my head. I cannot possibly mean that much to Simba. "I guess we will have to show you. We will take you to the Mirror to the World of the Living."

The two lions guide me to a cave. In the wall there is a mirror. They both tell me to look into it. I see a golden lion with a red mane in the mirror. He is at the bottom on the gorge in the Pridelands. He is laying on the ground and there is a brown broken body he is clasping with his forepaws. As I gaze into the mirror, the lion becomes bigger and I recognize him as Simba. The body he is holding is is crying over me. "I am sorry I said you were naive, Pumbaa, " Simba sobs. "You were the best friend and parent I ever had. I have lost too much. I lost my father, my son and my mother. I have seen too many deaths. I do not want to lose you, too." He puts his head down on my body and sobs. I cannot stand it any more. It is heartbreaking to see my boy like this.

I turn to Mufasa and Sarabi. "I cannot stand this. I must go back. How can I do that?"

"All you have to do is step into the mirror and wish with all your heart that you are with Simba. Your love and his tears will bring you back." Mufasa tells me. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," I reply.

"Take good care of my son." Sarabi tells me. She hugs me. Mufasa hugs me too then he grabs me with one paw and throws me into the mirror. Strangely enough I land inside it and find myself in darkness once again.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine Recovery

When I wake up, I hurt all over and I am being smothered by Simba's red mane. I feel I am under a sea of russet hair. I start croaking, " Simba, Simba,'"

Simba lifts his head and looks at me with relief. He nuzzles my face. "I am glad you are back Pumbaa. Don't ever leave me like that again!"

"Next time, I try to charge a lion, talk me out of it, okay!" I laugh weakly.

"Will do, friend. Let's see if you can stand. " I try to stand. It seems my legs are not broken but I am just too tired. I collapse weakly again. There is no way I can climb out of the gorge.

Simba decides he will have to carry me. I am too tired to hang on to his back. He puts his jaws around my neck gently and carries me back to Pride Rock. He gently puts me down when we reach the den and tells Zazu to fetch Rafiki. Timon is frantic. "What happened to my poor buddy? Simba talk to me.!"

"Pumbaa was injured killing Pretty Boy! But he is alive and I am sure he will be all right!"Simba tells Timon. "We will both take care of him.!"

Rafiki shows up and says I have no broken bones but I may have torn ligaments in my legs. He says I will have to rest for a week. And take short walks to recover. Then he slaps some red salve on my wounds. He will come and visit everyday.

Timon seldom leaves my side. He is always bringing me grubs. Kiara and Kovu help Timon bring them. Timon acts like a nurse and he drives me crazy. When I get up to exercise, he tells me to rest. Simba is just as bad. I try to go outside to look at the sunrise and he makes me go back to bed. Simba spends time with me when he is not doing his royal duties. And he has Kiara and Nala nurse me as well. I really do not like all this attention since I am the one who usually does the giving.

Simba decides to have a heart to heart talk with me.

"Listen Pumbaa,"he says. " I am sorry I said you were naive and stupid after you tried to talk to me about Kovu. It turned out you were right. I did not really know him. I was so upset at losing Kopa that I was really overprotective of Kiara. I just did not want to lose her too. "

"I understand Simba," I reply.

"You should have told me you were unhappy, Pumbaa. Timon and I both noticed you were spending a lot of time alone but we thought you might have liked it that way. But you were not really talking to me at all and I began to notice the barrier between us. I was so busy with my duties that I thought I would wait until you came around. Kiara began to notice your withdrawal too and she pointed it out to me. After that I really began to notice that you were not speaking to me much. If that happens again , confide in me, okay. I have always loved you and Timon both but I am a little closer to Timon because he and I both like to joke around and be sarcastic. But I still love you and value your friendship."

"I have always loved you, too. Simba. I could not be more prouder of you than if you were my own son which you are." We hug each other then and I cry.

"Listen, Simba, I am sorry about that but I really am a sensitive guy."

"Don't be ashamed of your emotions, Pumbaa. It does not make you any less brave or strong. In fact, Vitani told me that she thought you were a good fighter and protector. Believe me this pride needs you and we value you." This makes me feel proud. I really am valuable to Simba and he needs me. Mufasa and Sarabi were right.

Soon I am up and around again. Simba is angry when I sneak out of Pride Rock without telling him. But I insist that I have to do my exercises. I feel great. Soon I start taking longer walks and I am ready to run. A month has passed since the injury. Two more weeks pass before I am ready to bowl for buzzards and patrol the Pridelands.

As I heal and feel happier, my life starts to change. Both Nala and Kiara are pregnant. Nala gives birth to a beautiful golden cub with a tuft of red hair. Kovu and Kiara have twin cubs. One is a golden cub that looks like Simba and the other is a beautiful brown girl with green eyes. Nala's cub is called Kion. Kiara and Kovu's children have different names. The golden boy is named Klondo and the brown girl is named Klara. Simba is proud of all of them. Kion will not be king but he will run the new lion guard. Timon and I have families as well. Timon met an adventurous meerkat named Tamara. Tamara was friends with a cheetah. We met them when the cheetah decided to make her home in the Pridelands. Tamara rode on her back. The cheetah named Falana came here to have her daughter Fuli. Fuli and Kion are friends. I have met someone as well. Some of our sounder decided to live in the Pridelands and one of the warthogs is a female with the same scent problem I have. Her name is Valerie. She is just as nice and protective as I am and she loves to entertain our lion friends.

Timon married Tamara and I married Valerie. We had the wedding on top of Pride Rock with Rafiki and all of us in front of Simba's whole pride. The lions roared their congradulations. We expanded our den to include our growing families. Timon has a daughter called Talia and I have a son called Plato. Plato does not have the same scent problem I have and Simba tells me he is a handsome addition to that Timon and I are uncles to an adventurous honey badger named Bunga. We often have to watch him more than our own kids. He is more adventurous than Simba was at his age but Kion keeps him in check. Kion is smart and plays by the rules. He reminds me of Kopa and I love him just the same. He is almost like my own son.

I think about how rich my life has become. Because I have given love I have received it in return. I have had many adventures but I feel my life is measured by my relationships. I am thankful that I have two of the best friends that I have invited into my life and have become so much like family, Timon and Simba. They started my family and now it includes meerkats, warthogs, a honey badger, and a pride of lions. All of us have loved and are loved in return. If I had just kept to myself, I would not have the life I have now. It all started when I was willing to give my life to befriend a meerkat and raise a lion cub. The three of us may have been different but we are a family and we will always will be.


End file.
